international football for Celtic supporters

GreenGreenWorld is an international football blog-site dedicated to providing Celtic supporters and other internationally minded readers with commentary and analysis around the most interesting developments in European and South American football. In a reflection of its name GreenGreenWorld (GGW) will highlight the stories of particular interest and relevance to Celtic Football Club and its supporters.

Celtic fans have a justified reputation for not being parochial, for having a keen interest in the wider world of football. European football is something dear to the hearts of all Celtic supporters, with two European Cup Finals and a UEFA Cup Final amongst Celtic’s greatest achievements. With the widespread growth of access to satellite TV, most Celtic fans regularly watch Spanish, Italian and other European Leagues, and teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Lyon are as familiar to Celtic fans as the English giants Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. In recent years thousands of Celtic fans have ‘adopted’ Villarreal where a thriving Celtic Submari supporters’ club regularly hosts visiting Celtic supporters from all over the world. They have a special relationship with politically motivated anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-fascist St Pauli of Hamburg despite their second division status.
Celtic fans are aware of South American football and part of the Celtic legend includes games against South American giants like Penarol, and Racing Club, BA. Most Celtic fans adore Brazilian football and want Celtic to keep trying to play the Brazilian way.

GreenGreenWorld’s research amongst Celtic supporters has established beyond doubt that their favourite league by far is the Spanish La Liga, with the Italian Serie A a distant second, and the English Premiership a poor third.

GreenGreenWorld’s research has shown that Celtic supporters tend to prefer anti-establishment teams, challengers to the old power orders, clubs that are outsiders, underdogs, preferably with a working class left wing background.
GreenGreen World’s own research has shown that perhaps predictably Rangers supporters prefer clubs of the establishment, clubs of the power elite and the old and new money establishments. That is why Celtic supporters favour Barcelona and Rangers supporters favour Real Madrid. Why little Villarreal have quickly become Celtic supporters favourite foreign team and no small club has won the heart of Rangers supporters. Rangers supporters love Arsenal and Chelsea while Celtic supporters prefer Liverpool. Rangers fans rate mighty Bayern Munich and Hamburg SV while Celtic supporters prefer lowly but principled St Pauli. In Italy moneyed giants Juventus and Inter Milan get the Rangers vote while Celtic supporters prefer artistic Fiorentina and communist Bologna. These threads even run to South America where Rangers go for the ‘millionarios’ River Plate, club of the Argentina elite, while Celtic fans prefer the working class Boca Juniors.

The Green Green World’s research has indicated that the favourite Spanish sides of Celtic supporters are, in order of preference
• Villareal (the yellow submarine admired despite knocking Celtic out of the UEFA Cup and the Champions League in recent seasons),
• Barcelona, (brilliant players, brilliant stadium)
• Real Betis( who play in green and white and come from Seville),
• Valencia (who are proof that a side from a non-capital city can win the UEFA Cup and consistently do well in the Champions League).
GGW research also indicated that Celtic supporters tend to hate Real Madrid and delight in their misfortunes.

In recognition of these interests, one feature of GreenGreenWorld will be a “Spanish Scene” column. This Spanish Scene will concentrate on the progress of these four favoured clubs in a general overview of developments in the Spanish game.
Another regular feature of GGW will be a “Letter from South America” on at least a fortnightly basis.
A third element would be a weekly round-up of “European News”, with an emphasis on items likely to be of particular interest to Celtic supporters.
The fourth element will be “Celtic Matters”, features from around the world of direct relevance and interest to supporters of a green persuasion.

Readers of GreenGreenWorld are welcome to contribute their own thoughts and comments to any articles posted under any of these four headings, subject to basic standards of decency and respectful behaviour. Printable comments received by GGW will be posted on the blog subject to meeting these standards and an added one of interesting content. GreenGreenWorld will also try to answer any questions its readers have about any aspect of international club football. Please submit comments and questions via our contact form.

GreenGreenWorld

GreenGreenWorld is a football blog produced by SISIF, (the Sherbrooke Institute for the Study of International Football). The SISIF Director, Sandy Jamieson, has been an active student of world football for over 40 years and has an extensive network of information, knowledge and contacts in Europe, South America and the rest of the football world. Although SISIF is based in Glasgow, Sandy currently spends most time at his home in Spain where he is finishing a book about Villarreal, “The Yellow Submarine”. He is a writer/consultant and his previously published novels “Own Goal” and “The Great Escape?” are available from Ringwood Publishing or Amazon. Mainstream published his previous book on Scottish football.

Celtic Submari

The positive story of how an invasion of a small Spanish town, Vila-real by 10,000 Celtic supporters lead to the development of a New Model of football relationships based on respect and affection, not hatred and bitterness.

Yellow Submarine

The amazing story of how a wee club from a small town of 50,000 population established themselves as the 4th best team in Spain and the 12th best in Europe.

It demonstrates proof that integrity and community can still produce success, irrespective of size, and offers a morally superior alternative to reliance on American and Russian Billionaires or Arab dynasties.